LOS ANGELES — This was supposed to be a celebration of golf, this return of the U.S. Open to Los Angeles after 75 years.
It still probably will be, once the first groups tee off Thursday morning to send the 156-man field off and running. But in the days leading up to the 123rd edition of this country’s national golf championship, the sudden and surprising alliance between the PGA Tour and its former LIV adversaries (and particularly Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund) has hovered over the discussion of more mundane golf matters, kind of like a noxious cloud.
The questions have to be asked. That’s our job. And players who have made themselves available in the days leading up to the tournament have answered them as best they could, without a lot of concrete information to go on.
